Magnetic clipboard



April 16, 1963 R. Ll-:wTAN ETAL 3,085,777

MAGNETIC CLIPBQARD Filed June 8, 1961 TVM ze /8 0 llf' I5 lll v IN VEN TORS MARV//V LENTA/V HOBERTLEM/A/V ATTORN EYS l United States Patent Oil Lice 3,085,777 Patented Apr. 16, 1953 3,iS5,777 MAGNETC CLIPBOARD Robert Lewtan, 1084 Farmington Ave., and Marvin Lewtan, 1355 Boulevard, both of West Hartford, Conn. Filed .inne 5, 1961, Ser. No. 115,723 Claims. (Cl. 248-206) This invention relates to a clipboard for holding flat items, such as individual pieces of paper or a tablet, and for providing a backing for such items, and deals more particularly with a clipboard including magnetic means for holding the clipboard to various magne-tic surfaces.

An object of this invention is to provide a clipboard having magnetic means whereby the board may Abe attaehed to various different magnetic articles, such as the dashboard of an automobile or the side of a metal desk, for displaying the clipboard or for holding the same in a given place during non-use.

A further object of this invention is to provide a magnetic clipboard which is of a simple and inexpensive construction, while nevertheless being relatively rugged and of an attractive appearance.

A further object of this invention is to provide a magnetic clipboard wherein the magnets are contained out of sight within attractive housings comprising part of a single one-piece base member which may be formed by simple stamping and bending operations.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a clipboard of the character mentioned in the preceding object and which clipboard includes a provision for conveniently receiving and holding a writing instrument such as a pencil or pen.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof.

The drawing shows a preferred embodiment of the invention and such embodiment will be described, but it will be understood that various changes may be made from the construction disclosed, and that the drawing and description are not to be construed as defining or limitin-g the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

`Of the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a clipboard embodying this invention, the clipboard being shown in association with a tablet and a pencil.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the clipboard of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. l.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing the construction and lmounting of the clip, the view being taken looking toward the rear of the clipboard with the pencil removed.

Referring to the drawing, a clipboard embodying the present invention is indicated generally at 1t) in FIGS. 1 and 2. The clipboard 1t? is adapted for conventional use in holding and providing a lbacking for flat items such as single sheets of paper or a tablet composed of numerous sheets of paper. In the present instance the clipboard is shown by way of example as being used to hold a tablet 12.

The clipboard is generally rectangular in shape and is comprised of a base member 14 and a spring biased clip member 16 pivotally carried by the base member. The forward portion 17 of ythe base member 14, which portion appears at the right in FIGS. l and 2, provides a at surface for supporting the tablet 12,

while the clip 16 is located adjacent this forward portion and serves to engage and clamp the tablet in place relative to the at surface. The base member 14 extends rearwardly, or to the left in FIGS. 1 and 2, beyond the forward portion 17 and on either side of the clip 16 is provided with two housings 18, 18 each of which serves to house and conceal a permanent magnet for use in holding the clipboard to a metallic surface, one of the magnets being shown at 2@ in FIG. 2.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, the base member 14 comprises a piece of sheet metal which is bent at its rear end to form the housings 18, 18. The housings `are therefore integral with the forward, tablet supporting portion 17 of the base member. As shown best in FIG. 2, the base member 14 includes a housing bottom portion 22 which extends rearwardly, or toward the left, beyond the forward portion 17. At the rear edge 24 the base member is reversely bent upon itself to form a top housing portion 26 which extends forwardly in spaced relationship to the bottom portion 22. At its forward end the top portion 26 is bent downwardly so that its forward edge 28 engages, or at least substantially engages, the surface of the forward base member portion 17.

Intermediate the length of the rear edge 24 the top housing portion 26 -is cut away to provide a notch 34) for receiving or accommodating part of the clip 16. Thus the clip 16 divides the top portion 26 into two parts which define with the bottom portion 22 the two housings 18, 18 located on either side of the clip.

As shown in FIG. 3, each housing 18 provides a space for receiving a permanent magnet 20; As shown in this figure, the magnet is held to the housing bottom portion 22 by means of a U-shaped clip 32 which surrounds the top and two sides of the magnet. The two legs of the clip 32 pass through openings or slots in the bottom portion `22 and are staked or otherwise bent as at 34, 34 so as to be held in place with respect to the bottom portion. Preferably, as shown best in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the magnets 2i), Ztl do not completely fill the space within the housings 18, 18 but are spaced somewhat forwardly from the rear edge 24 so that a transverse opening 35 is defined along the rear edge 24 for receiving a writing instrument such as the pencil shown at 36. In order `to better accommodate the pencil 36 the base member 14 is preferably bent in a rounded fashion along the edge 24 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

The clip 16 may be fastened to the base member 14 and spring biased in various different manners without departing from the invention. In the illustrated and preferred example, however, the clip is connected to the base member in such a manner that no additional parts are required and whereby the mounting structure comprises elements which may be stamped or otherwise cut and bent from the material of the base member. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, it will be noted that the clip 16 includes two ears 37, 37 located respectively on opposite sides of its body and arranged to extend downwardly toward the base member 14. Each ear 37 is provided with an opening 38 which receives a dimple 39 pressed outwardly from a tab or leg 40 cut and bent upwardly from the material of the base member. The two dimples 39, 39 therefore Serve to pivotally support the two ears 37, 37 for movement of the clip 16 about a transverse axis.

The clip 16 is biased so that the forward end thereof is urged toward the base member 14 with the result that any item placed between the .clip and the base member will be clamped in place on the clipboard. This biasing means may take various forms, but preferably it comprises a leaf spring 42 which is bent into a generally U-shape and placed between the housing bottom portion 22 and the rear or left-hand portion of the clip 16, as shown in FIG. 4. That is, one arm of the spring engages the bottom housing portion 22 and the other arm engages the rearward portion of the clip 16 so that its forward portion is urged toward the forward portion of the base member. The spring 42 is provided with an opening in its bottom arm which opening surrounds a generally cylindrical collar or protrusion 44 formed in the material of the base member, as by a piercing operation. The collar 44 `therefore serves to retain the spring in its intended position.

From FIG. 4, it will therefore be apparent that the clip 16 may be readily manually manipulated by pressing down on the rear end portion of the clip 16. This will raise the forward end portion for receiving or removing the tablet 12 or other similar items. Releasing the clip 16 will allow the forward end thereof to clamp the item to the base member. Also, from all the gures of the drawing and the above description it will be obvious that the clipboard disclosed is one which is relatively sturdy and one which may be inexpensively manufactured by simple operations.

The invention claimed is:

1. A clipboard comprising a sheet metal base member, said base member having a generally rectangular and fiat forward portion adapted to support a ilat item, said base member extending rearwardly from said forward portion, being reversely bent upon itself along a rear edge, and extending forwardly for some distance from said rear edge to provide spaced top and bottom housing portions located rearwardly of said forward portion, said top portion being cut away to provide a notch therein located intermediate the ends of said rear edge, a manually operable and spring biased clip positioned in part within said notch for releasably holding an item such as aforesaid to said flat forward portion, and two permanent magnets located respectively on opposite sides of said clip for holding said base member to a magnetic surface, each of said magnets being located within the space between said top and bottom housing portions and secured to said bottom housing portion.

2. A clipboard as defined in claim 1 further characterized by said top housing portion being bent adjacent its forward edge as that said forward edge is brought substantially into engagement with said bottom housing portion.

3. A clipboard as dened in claim 1 further characterized by said magnets being located some distance forwardly from said rear edge to provide a transverse opening along said rear edge and between said top and bottom portions for receiving a writing instrument.

4. A clipboard comprising a sheet metal base member, said base member having a generally rectangular and flat forward portion adapted to support a llat item, said base member extending rearwardly from said forward portion, being reversely bent upon itself along a rear edge, and extending forwardly for some distance from said rear edge to provide spaced top and bottom housing portions located rearwardly of said forward portion, said top portion being cut away to provide a notch therein located intermediate the ends of said rear edge, a clip member positioned in part within said notch and supported relative to said base member for pivotal movement about a transverse axis and which clip member extends both rearwardly and forwardly from its pivot axis, a U-shaped leaf spring positioned between said bottom portion and the rearward portion of said clip member with one arm thereof in engagement with said bottom portion and the other arm thereof in engagement with said rearward clip portion for urging the forward portion of said clip toward said forward portion of said base member, said one arm having an opening therein and said bottom housing portion having a collar formed therein which collar extends through said spring opening to hold said spring in place, and two permanent magnets located respectively on opposite sides of said clip for holding said base member to a magnetic surface, each of said magnets being located within the space between said top and bottom housing portions and being secured to said bottom portion.

5. A clipboard comprising a base member having a generally rectangular at portion for supporting a flat item, a manually operable spring biased clip located adjacent one end of said rectangular flat portion and intermediate the sides thereof for releasably holding an item such as aforesaid to said base member, means pro- Viding two housings on said base member located respectively on opposite sides of said clip, and two permanent magnets each contained within a respective one of said housings for holding said base member to a magnetic surface, said two housings collectively defining a transverse opening for receiving and holding a writing instrument.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,482,659 Oswald Feb. 5, 1924 1,632,459 Valkenburgh June 14, 1927 2,497,332 Teegor Feb. 14, 1950 2,713,531 Boone July 19, 1955 2,745,415 Andre May 15, 1956 2,965,235 Dalinc Dec. 20, 1960 2,977,082 Harris Mar. 28, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS E9,904 Germany May 3, 1956 

1. A CLIPBOARD COMPRISING A SHEET METAL BASE MEMBER, SAID BASE MEMBER HAVING A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR AND FLAT FORWARD PORTION ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A FLAT ITEM, SAID BASE MEMBER EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM SAID FORWARD PORTION, BEING REVERSELY BENT UPON ITSELF ALONG A REAR EDGE, AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY FOR SOME DISTANCE FROM SAID REAR EDGE TO PROVIDE SPACED TOP AND BOTTOM HOUSING PORTIONS LOCATED REARWARDLY OF SAID FORWARD PORTION, SAID TOP PORTION BEING CUT AWAY TO PROVIDE A NOTCH THEREIN LOCATED INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF SAID REAR EDGE, A MANUALLY OPERABLE AND SPRING BIASED CLIP POSITIONED IN PART WITHIN SAID NOTCH FOR RELEASABLY HOLDING AN ITEM SUCH AS AFORESAID TO SAID FLAT FORWARD PORTION, AND TWO PERMANENT MAGNETS LOCATED RESPECTIVELY ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CLIP FOR HOLDING SAID BASE MEMBER TO A MAGNETIC SURFACE, EACH OF SAID MAGNETS BEING LOCATED WITHIN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID TOP AND BOTTOM HOUSING PORTIONS AND SECURED TO SAID BOTTOM HOUSING PORTION. 